Press

IDG’s Network World Debut’s ‘Tester’s Choice’ Column; Industry Experts
Sound Off in the Leading Network Publication About Enterprise Products

SOUTHBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 10, 2001– Network World, the leading media company covering the network enterprise, introduces "Tester's Choice", a monthly column featuring Network World's Global Test Alliance members, who will give readers their opinions on some of the hottest technologies, products and methods for testing both.

The Network World Global Test Alliance is a coalition of industry experts, network integration consultants, independent labs and universities providing objective, authoritative reviews for the networking community. Readers now have the opportunity to learn the Test Alliance reviewers' opinions — substantiated by years of hands-on testing experience — regarding which new technologies work, don't work, or could work better.

Network World partners with specialized experts who direct single product reviews, head-to-head comparative test of products in a particular class, and issues-based testing that looks at hot new technologies and the deployment issues they may raise in an enterprise network. The Network World Global Alliance comprises many of the premier reviewers in the network industry. Each brings to bear years of experience testing products in his or her area of expertise. Network World leverages their knowledge and works with them to construct real-world tests, the results of which help readers make more informed buying decisions. "The Network World Global Test Alliance is made up of some of the best technology testing minds in the industry," said Alliance Director Christine Burns. "This column gives our partners an opportunity to tell readers frankly what they think about emerging technologies and the products they will evolve into."

Some of the authors who will be featured in the "Tester's Choice" monthly column are:

Ed Mier, founder and Editorial Director of Miercom, a privately held Princeton Junction, N.J.-based network consultancy that specializes in networking and communications-related product analysis and testing, consulting and research. Ed Mier has authored over two hundred groundbreaking feature articles covering all aspects of communications and networking.

Tom Henderson, principal researcher for ExtremeLabs, Inc., of Indianapolis, that performs systems analysis and performance testing in medium- to high-end networking and microprocessor-based systems platforms. Mr. Henderson currently serves on the technical program committee of the International Communications Association (ICA), the Conference Advisory Board for COMDEX Spring, Fall, Canada West, and Toronto.

Barry Nance, a software developer, application architect, consultant and author, who has more than 28 years of experience with a variety of computing platforms, networks, operating systems, application development methodologies and computing languages. Nance also runs a network computing laboratory containing several local and wide area networks, platforms and networking products.

David Newman, president of Network Test (Hoboken, N.J.), an independent benchmarking and network design consultancy. Network Test's clients, which include service providers and Fortune 100 enterprise accounts, generally retain the company for one of three functions: performance and availability benchmarking of high-end network equipment and services; security assessments; design validation.

About Network World

Network World, Inc., the Leader in Network Knowledge, empowers Network Leaders and enables e-business through education, information and community. Network World is the leading provider of news, analysis, reviews, events and education on information technology. Network World publishes the leading newsweekly, Network World, hosts the most active online community, Network World Fusion (http://www.nwfusion), and produces educational seminars and events worldwide.

About International Data Group

Network World, Inc. is a division of IDG, the world's leading IT media, research and exposition company. IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and 4,000 book titles and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (http://www.idg.net), which comprises more than 270 targeted Web sites in 70 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related expositions worldwide, and provides IT market analysis through 50 offices in 43 countries worldwide. Company information is available at http://www.idg.com.